Simple or Profound

Photo: Color Birdbath with Flowers Copyright 2019 Frank J Casella — A red and yellow bird bath with purple flowers. and peeling paint.

Note: I’m sharing an essay from my *Jesus With Us* project on Fine Art America. Enjoy!

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Often, when I sit down to write, I find myself asking what it really means for something to be profound. Is profundity measured by how complex an idea is, or how intricate the artistry might be? Or is it possible that simplicity-something ordinary, almost everyday-holds the deepest kind of meaning?

As I reflect, I’m drawn to a quote by Matthew Kelly that keeps returning to me: “Most of the time holiness is just about doing the ordinary things of everyday life really well.” In Catholic terms, this feels like a gentle but powerful reminder. Holiness doesn’t always arrive with dramatic signs. Sometimes it comes quietly-through fidelity in what we do, again and again, with love.

And that leads me to another thought: what one person calls “ordinary,” another person may recognize as sacred. Consider the sky after-or before-a storm. To some, it’s a moment of beauty so striking it awakens wonder and reverence. To others, it may bring anxiety, or fear, or memories of storms they didn’t survive well. The difference isn’t in the sky. It’s in the heart that receives it.

This is where interpretation matters. What we experience is real, but the meaning we carry can vary depending on our perspective, our history, and what we believe God is inviting us to see. In that sense, every person’s journey is both unique and deeply human-rich with questions, and capable of grace.

It also reminds me that holiness isn’t the absence of struggle. Even those who seem to others like examples of sanctity may still wrestle with doubt, feelings of unworthiness, or the sense that they’re not living up to what they know they should. I’ve heard this from people whose faith inspires me. Their honesty is humbling-and it brings comfort, because it reminds me that sanctity is not perfection. It’s perseverance.

So, if holiness often looks like the ordinary done well, then we’re called to something practical: to show up-at work, at home, in our prayers, in our relationships-with sincerity and with hope. And in God’s providence, we’re not meant to walk alone. Each person we meet can steady our faith, stretch our understanding, or call us back to what matters.

May God bless you richly today,

Frank

Originally published at http://fjcasella.wordpress.com on June 24, 2026.